Hot Buttered Pretzels

On October 29, 2010, in Budget-wise, In the Kitchen, by Glenda Embree

Our readers speak and we listen!  As you all know by now, King Arthur Flour is one of the sponsors of our blog anniversary series, “A Homemade Holiday” and is also sponsoring an exciting giveaway with more than $70 in fabulous products for your kitchen.  The mandatory entry for that giveaway is to select a [...]

Our readers speak and we listen!  As you all know by now, King Arthur Flour is one of the sponsors of our blog anniversary series, “A Homemade Holiday” and is also sponsoring an exciting giveaway with more than $70 in fabulous products for your kitchen.  The mandatory entry for that giveaway is to select a recipe from their website that you would like to see demonstrated, here at Busy-at-Home.  The response has been amazing and I’m as excited as all of you to try some of these recipes.  One of the top requests has been for the Hot Buttered Pretzels; so today, I decided to share our first attempt at making our own pretzels at home.  After eating them, I can promise you it won’t be the last attempt.

Fantastically delicious, soft pretzel, fresh from the oven!

The batch only makes eight, so I felt confident that I wasn’t really wasting anything if they didn’t turn out, but, as it happens, there was absolutely nothing to worry about.  They are heavenly!!!  My youngest and I are actually going to make another batch this evening, because this first one was gobbled up in seconds.

Hot Buttered Pretzels would be a delicious and impressive snack for a boardgames and cards game night get-together or for watching the game on your big screen at home.  Do your friends like snacking when you get together for a movie night?  Give them some authentic, warm pretzel goodness.  I promise a plate of these at your next potluck will disappear faster than any other fingerfood on the table!  No one will believe you made them yourself and you won’t believe how simple and inexpensive they are to prepare.  I guesstimated that I spent fifty cents or less to make one batch of 8.  That’s just a little over six cents per pretzel!  Don’t you love being frugal AND awesome!!!??!!! :)

Minimal and inexpensive ingredients, create high-end taste!

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Hot Buttered Pretzels

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Dough

  • 2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons regular instant yeast
  • 7/8 to 1 cup warm water*

*Remember, humidity can dramatically affect the moisture level in your bread dough.  Use the greater amount of water in the winter, the lesser amount in the summer, and somewhere in between in the spring and fall. Your goal is a soft dough that isn’t sticky.

Topping

  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 2 Tablespoons baking soda
  • coarse, kosher or pretzel salt
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Put all the dough ingredients into your heavy-duty stand mixer.  I actually used the full cup of water, today.  I mixed the ingredients into a soft dough and then set my kitchen timer for 5 minutes, letting the machine knead the dough for me.  You can do the same thing mixing and kneading by hand, if you prefer.

Completed dough after 5 minutes of kneading in the Bosch.

Once the dough is kneaded, form it into a ball, dust the ball lightly with flour and place it in a one gallon zip-top bag to rest and rise for 30 minutes.

Lightly dust dough with flour and place in a bag to rest for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the risen dough from the bag and place it on a lightly oiled counter top.

Risen dough on oiled countertop.

I used a knife and cut the dough round into 8 equal-sized wedges, leaving the wedges to rest for 5 minutes.

Cut risen dough into 8 equal wedges.

While the dough rested, I mixed the warm water and baking soda in a shallow bowl.  The most difficult part of this process was getting the baking soda to thoroughly dissolve in the water and I ended up using 1 cup of water instead of 1/2 cup, which seemed to do the trick.

Baking soda dissolved in water in a shallow bowl.

After the wedges rest for five minutes, roll each wedge into a long rope and then twist the ropes into a pretzel shape.

Roll wedges into long ropes.

Begin by looping the left end of your rope underneath the rest of the rope.

Loop left end of rope under the length of the remaining rope.

Next, take the right end of the rope and pull it through the loop you made in the first step, draping the end over the bottom of the first loop.

Pull the right end of the rope through the back side of the loop you just made and drape the end over the bottom of the first loop.

Dip your formed pretzel into the soda water bath and then place on a greased cookie sheet.  (The recipe said to bake the pretzels on two cookie sheets, which I did, but next time, I think they would easily fit on one.)

Dip the formed pretzels into the soda wash and place on greased cookie sheet.

Sprinkle the pretzels with coarse sea salt.  Allow to rest and rise for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the pretzels with coarse sea salt & let rest 10 minutes.

Bake at 500° for 8 or nine minutes, or until golden brown.  If you use one cookie sheet, you can just let them go the full time.  However, if you use two sheets, as suggested in the original King Arthur Flour recipe, you will need to rotate your cookie sheets half way through the baking time.  I put two racks at the center levels in my oven and after 4 minutes, switched the top tray to the bottom rack and the tray from the bottom rack to the top and continued baking for another 5 minutes.

See how the top tray is already browning? I moved the bottom tray up and the top tray down. All eight browned perfectly.

Brush the tops with the melted butter.

Brush the pretzels liberally with melted butter.

Enjoy the deliciously, soft and chewy, perfection that is homemade pretzels!  Delish!

Warm, delicious homemade pretzels. You can definitely do this!

Printable Version of Hot Buttered Pretzels Recipe

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and The Grocery Cart Challenge.

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Last Chance to Print Coupons

On October 29, 2010, in Budget-wise, Home and Garden, In the Kitchen, by Glenda Embree

This may be the last chance on these coupons.  If you haven’t printed them, yet, you may want to grab them before they go away this weekend. $0.50 off Yoplait Delights™ Yogurt $0.50 off YoPlus Yogurt 4-pack $0.50 off Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt $0.30 off Yoplait Greek Yogurt $1.00 off Yoplait Frozen Smoothie $0.75 off [...]

This may be the last chance on these coupons.  If you haven’t printed them, yet, you may want to grab them before they go away this weekend.


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Steps4Kids Handwriting DVD’s
Review and Giveaway

On October 29, 2010, in Budget-wise, Giveaways, Homeschool, Reviews, by Glenda Embree

This Giveaway is now Closed. Congratulations to our Winner #53, Krystal!!!! Please reply to the email you were sent with your shipping information. Life is hectic.  It’s just the reality of the times we live in; and even as a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom, my days are jam-packed with appointments, projects, assignments, laundry, youth group, AWANA, [...]

This Giveaway is now Closed.

Congratulations to our Winner #53, Krystal!!!!

Please reply to the email you were sent with your shipping information.

Life is hectic.  It’s just the reality of the times we live in; and even as a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom, my days are jam-packed with appointments, projects, assignments, laundry, youth group, AWANA, 4-H, dishes, blogging, yada, yada, yada…You know the drill.  You’re juggling all the same things.  So, when I find a product that is simple, does what it sets out to do AND puts some time back into my overflowing schedule, I get excited.  Step4Kids Handwriting DVD’s are exactly that kind of simple product that gives me a little more wiggle-room in my homeschooling schedule.

Obviously, all my kids can write — and I’m speaking loosely here, as in the physical, mechanical ability to apply a writing implement to paper and shape letters to form words and sentences, etc.  I’ve never been good at enforcing strict penmanship quality and each child has developed their own “style”.  My last two, however, have dug in their heels and firmly proclaimed that cursive is impossibly slow and they will be printing for the rest of their lives.  In the interest of speed and legibility, I have often relented after  yet another failed  foray into a new penmanship program.  I’m not looking for anything fancy, but I need something a little simpler to decipher than hieroglyphics, so they MUST learn to write legibly AND in cursive.

I have fairly decent handwriting, but none of my kids has been particularly interested in learning my style.  I grew up in the era of loops and flowing lines.  Handwriting was artistic and flowery.  Modern cursive is more utilitarian.  I’m totally okay with that, but it’s difficult to demonstrate utilitarian when your brain and fingers automatically go to flowery loops.  :)   The DVD’s take that pressure off and provide consistent instruction.

I originally received the Steps4Kids Manuscript (printing) DVD to review and was instantly enamored.  My four-year-old granddaughter and her younger siblings are going to put many, many miles on that DVD as they learn to form their first letters and master their ABC’s.  I was taken with the idea that the program was visual, auditory AND hands-on.  Lessons are short and visually demonstrated.  The DVD can be stopped and started to practice or review.  It can be used on the computer or the TV and there is NO pre-planning other than to print out a few sheets of the pre-formatted writing paper from the DVD, itself.  No special paper to buy EVER.  Love it!  Love it!  Love it!  No consumable workbooks.  Perfect!  The kids can work independently.  Beautiful!

After reviewing the Manuscript DVD, I wrote to Steps4Kids and explained my last two “cursive-challenged” students.  They shipped the cursive DVD right out and both kids have been using it for daily handwriting practice and more and more cursive is cropping up in their daily writing.  They have had the opportunity to watch live demonstrations of how to form the letters, hear the explanation of how to form the letter  and then write them on their own.  Like the Manuscript DVD, the Cursive DVD doesn’t have a lot of “bells and whistles”.  It doesn’t need them.  It’s solid, simple instruction in good cursive letter formation, working through both the upper and lower cases and learning how to make the proper connections when forming words.  If a letter is giving them trouble students can simply go back and review.

I haven’t gotten to the point of demanding every lesson be done in cursive, but we are very close to that point.  It was never an option before, but with the daily practice, confidence is increasing, so speed is, as well.  I think the Steps4Kids Handwriting DVD’s are a great solution for anyone with penmanship “challenges”.  And my family agrees!  Whether you homeschool or you just want the confidence to provide extra instruction at home, the Step4Kids Handwriting DVD’s make penmanship training quick and easy.

Although we haven’t reviewed that specific DVD, Steps4Kids also offers Modern Manuscript as an alternative to Traditional Printing.

One lucky Busy-at-Home reader will have the opportunity to experience one of these great programs for themselves.  Be sure to enter the Giveaway!  And if you just can’t wait, click over to Steps4Kids and grab your favorite.

Giveaway Rules:

You must be at least 18 and reside in the U.S. to enter.  Mandatory entry must be completed before any additional entries will count.  Deadline to enter is midnight (CST) Sunday, November 14, 2010.  Winner will be selected at random, using www.random.org.

Mandatory Entry:

Leave a comment below telling me which DVD you would like if you win: ABC (Traditional Printing), Modern Manuscript OR Cursive. It’s that simple!

Optional Additional Entries:

  1. Like Steps4Kids on Facebook. Leave a comment below to let me know you’ve done it.
  2. Follow Busy-at-Home on Twitter.  Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
  3. Like Busy-at-Home on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
  4. Follow Busy-at-Home on Google Friends Connect.  Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
  5. Subscribe to the Busy-at-Home Newsletter with this link or in the right-hand sidebar.  You will receive an email confirmation with a link that must be clicked to confirm your subscription.  Once you click the email link to confirm your subscription, leave me a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
  6. Post this giveaway on your Facebook page.   Leave a comment below with a link to your post.

I received copies of both the ABC and Cursive DVD’s, through Tomoson and Steps4Kids, in order to conduct this review.  A positive review was not required and no other compensation was received.  As always, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own.  Steps4Kids will ship the selected prize directly to the giveaway winner.

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Must-Have Recipes for Your Homemade Holiday!
Pumpkin Bread & Zucchini Bread

On October 28, 2010, in Budget-wise, Freezer Cooking (Batch Cooking, Once-a-Month Cooking, OAMC), In the Kitchen, by Glenda Embree

Two of my most favorite quick breads are perfect for eating and gifting; and fall is the ideal time to start baking them for your freezer, so you have plenty on hand for quick gifts and unexpected company.  Pumpkin Bread and Zucchini Bread fill your home with the warm spicy fragrances that always make me [...]

Two of my most favorite quick breads are perfect for eating and gifting; and fall is the ideal time to start baking them for your freezer, so you have plenty on hand for quick gifts and unexpected company.  Pumpkin Bread and Zucchini Bread fill your home with the warm spicy fragrances that always make me think of fall – cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.  Mmmmmm…I love it!

Bette Wellenkotter, the dearest of people who ever was. This is taken as she signed the guest book at my wedding, but the strongest picture of her in my mind is in light blue overalls and a denim cap, working in the yard. She was definitely one of my all-time favorite people!

Both these recipes were handed down from a dear, dear friend of our family when I was a child (back during the Paleolithic Era) :) .  Her name was Bette Wellenkotter.  She was sort of a combination of a grandma and fairy godmother, all in one.  I was a voracious reader as a kid and Bette had a “library” IN her house.  It was amazing!  It was a lovely white room with high ceilings and a window seat where the sun poured in on me when I read.  Bette introduced me to Anne Shirley (Have you read the Anne of Green Gables series?  I hope so.  If not, you must go to the library, immediately.)  Anyway, Bette is one of my favorite memories of childhood.  She left me with her own personal copies of the Anne of Green Gables books, a love for Yahtzee, Pepsi & Vanilla Ice Cream Floats and these two yummy recipes.  She was a peach!


Bake and Give Wooden Bakers from King Arthur Flour.They come with their own silicone paper liners.

I had the perfect opportunity to try out the fantastic Bake and Give Wooden Bakers from King Arthur Flour when I made these recipes.  I loved the generous size for gift-giving and that no one ever has to worry about returning my pan, they’re free to just enjoy the gift.  These functional and attractive wooden pans are made from poplar wood and come as a set of 6.  Each has a silicone paper liner to hold your bread or cake batter as it’s baked and prevents your baked goods from sticking.  Bake them up.  Cool and then wrap with plastic wrap.  Add a bow or a pretty ribbon and you have a spectacular gift that would be perfect as a thank you for a hostess, a treat for a college student or co-worker or any other fan of your home-baked goodies.  Pumpkin bread  and zucchini bread will be huge hits on your Thanksgiving and Christmas buffet tables and smashingly successful as gifts under the Christmas tree!  Both these recipes are moist and flavorful, they freeze beautifully and the flavor is actually enhanced by freezing for a time.

Some quick ideas to make your Bake and Give Wooden Bakers into warm and welcome gifts! It was as simple as wrapping one with a scrap of fabric and tying with a ribbon bow or wrapping in plastic wrap and recycling a gift bow from a previous package. What a great way to say,"Welcome to the neighborhood!" or "Thanks for all your help!"

Pumpkin Bread or Muffins Recipe

Ingredients:

Directions:

Cream the sugar and butter.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Bread or Muffins. I have always loved King Arthur flours, but have only recently started using their Vietnamese Cinnamon. It has a slightly sweeter fragrance and flavor than other cinnamon I have used. I also was out of both nutmeg and cloves, so substituted allspice.

Add the eggs.

Add the eggs to creamed butter and sugar.

Add water and pumpkin.

Mix in the pumpkin and water.

Mix in dry ingredients (King Arthur Unbleached All Purpose flour, salt, baking soda, cloves, nutmeg and Vietnamese Cinnamon).

Mix in all dry ingredients, including spices.

Pour batter into greased baking pans, prepared Bake and Give Wooden Bakers or prepared muffin tins.  Bake at 375°, 1 hour for a full-sized loaf, 40-45 minutes for the Bake & Give Wooden Bakers and 20-25 minutes for muffins.

Completed batter.

Pumpkin Bread batter ready to bake in the Bake and Give Wooden Bakers from King Arthur Flour.

I doubled the Pumpkin Bread recipe, when I was baking for this post.  I divided my batter between two of the Bake and Give Wooden Bakers.  Next time, I will use three for a doubled recipe.  The bakers hold 2 to 2½ cups of batter and I definitely overfilled them, this first time.  One did spill over the sides as it was baking.  When I made the zucchini bread, (in the recipe below), I split my batter between 3 bakers (about 2 cups of batter each) and it worked much better.

One beautiful loaf of pumpkin bread and the remains of the one that was pounced upon and devoured straight out of the oven. :) The silicone paper liners for the wooden bakers made it super simple to remove the loaf from the pan. No sticking or crumbling. Absolutely perfect!

Printable Version of Pumpkin Bread/Muffins Recipe

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Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups shredded or grated zucchini
  • 1 cup oil or butter ( I have used both successfully.)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 Tablespoon Vietnamese Cinnamon
  • 2½ cups King Arthur Unbleached All Purpose flour
  • ½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

Ingredients for Zucchini Bread. I actually switched up and used butter instead of oil, after I had already snapped this picture. :)

Wash the zucchini, but don’t peel it.  Use a hand grater to shred it if you like, but I use the blender attachment on my Bosch.  I just cut the zucchini into chunks, cover with water and then quickly grind it by pulsing the blender a few times.  I still leave it fairly coarse.  You don’t want it granular or pureed.  Drain the water from the zucchini by pouring it into a sieve.

Zucchini washed, chunked and ready to grind in the blender.

Zucchini ground and draining.

Mix the butter (oil) and sugar.

Mix the butter (or oil) and sugar.

Add the eggs, zucchini and vanilla.

Add eggs, zucchini and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients and then mix in the nuts, if you are adding them.

Add the dry ingredients.

Pour the mixed batter into two greased, full-size bread pans, or three of the Bake and Give Wooden Bakers, or I have never done zucchini bread as muffins, but I have no doubt you could pour the batter into prepared muffin tins, with excellent results.

Zucchini batter completed.

Bake in a 350° oven, 1 hour for full-sized loaves, 40-45 minutes for Bake and Give Wooden Bakers or 20-25 minutes for muffins.

Zucchini batter in Bake and Give Wooden Bakers

There is no way this bread comes out of the oven without some of it being sliced, immediately.  I was able to put two in the freezer, but we had to eat one.  It’s DELISH!

Warm, delicious and perfect!

Printable Version of Zucchini Bread Recipe

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and The Grocery Cart Challenge.

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October Taste and Create Challenge: Soft Caramels

On October 27, 2010, in Budget-wise, Frugal, Fun Family Activities, In the Kitchen, by Glenda Embree

I can’t believe I’m a week behind in everything I hoped to accomplish on the blog AND at home.  I’m about to have the potential (Sadly, potential is not always reality.    Though, my intentions truly are to finish as soon as I have floors.) to finally be completely unpacked in our new house.  We [...]

I can’t believe I’m a week behind in everything I hoped to accomplish on the blog AND at home.  I’m about to have the potential (Sadly, potential is not always reality.  :)   Though, my intentions truly are to finish as soon as I have floors.) to finally be completely unpacked in our new house.  We had all the new carpeting installed about a week and a half ago and hopefully, by the weekend or at the latest, by the first of next week, all the new hardwood flooring will be complete.  My beautiful new range (4 weeks old) has freaked out though, and refuses to cook, as it should.  I did receive a call this morning, that help is on the way and a repairman (from Illinois !!!????!!!) will be here in the morning and get things back on track.  So, in theory, I should be able to get caught up and back on schedule, very soon.

In the meantime, I want to share some of the great recipes I have been working on without having time to get them written up.  The first is for the October Taste and Create Challenge.  I was fortunate, this month, to be paired with The Indecisive Baker.  Rebecca only has about TWO DOZEN recipes I want to try. – lol -  Actually, there may even be more than that, but I had to choose just one for now; and so with fall in the air I was inspired to try her Salted Caramels.  Homemade candy is one of the few times where I try to follow the recipe to the letter, so I didn’t make any changes.  My finished product had a strong vanilla flavor which was yummy, but I think for a more carmelly, carmel taste, I will leave out the vanilla, next time around.  And folks, there will definitely be a next time!  I have already planned some variations to make you the favorite Christmas gift giver on the planet.  Add them to your homemade holiday gift baskets and trays and you will be the awe of everyone you share them with!  :)   Yes, you really should share!

These caramels are not gooey, drippy soft, but they ARE smooth, buttery, deliciously soft.  They won’t be as hard as the square caramels you are used to buying at the store, though you could achieve that by cooking them to a slightly higher temperature.  These will hold together and can be shaped, but at room temperature will remain very soft and “moldable”, even flattening out and spreading somewhat if not contained in a wrapper.  They are delicious!

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Printable Version of Soft Caramels Recipe

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Soft Caramels

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 5 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

  1. Cover a 9×9 square with lightly buttered parchment paper.  (Of course, I was totally out of parchment paper, so I used waxed paper, instead.  It worked so-so.  I will get some new parchment paper before making my next batch.)

    Waxed paper-lined pan. Definitely use parchment paperif you have it. It will make "de-panning" so much easier.

  2. Combine sugar, syrup, salt and 1c of cream. Stir continuously and bring to a boil (over med-med high heat). Once it’s boiling add the remaining cream slowly.

    Cream, syrup and sugar combined in a pan largeenough to let the candy "rise" as it boils.

  3. Reduce to a low boil for 5-6 minutes without stirring. (As the candy boils, it will “rise” up the sides of your pan.  That’s exactly what it should do.  Don’t worry, just use a pan that is tall enough to accommodate it.)

    Yes, my spatula is scorched. In the interest of testing the claims that it could withstand exceptionally high heat, I absentmindedly laid it on my counter, slightly to close to old gas range burner. It apparently does not withstand the heat of an open flame. :) It still works extraordinarily well!

  4. Add butter chunks.  Boil to 242° (soft ball stage).  This will take 30-45minutes.  (The temperature started coming up fairly quickly at first and I remember thinking, that it wouldn’t come near to 35 or 40 minutes, but the temp plateaued just above boiling and it really did take that length of time.)

    Add butter.

  5. Once your caramel reaches 242°, it will be a beautiful golden brown color.  Remove from the heat and add your vanilla.

    Beautiful, golden brown, carmelly goodness!

  6. Pour the hot caramel into your prepared pan.  There will be a little crystallized candy on the sides of your pan.  Just leave it there.  Don’t scrape it into your beautifully smooth caramels. Let the candy set until it firms up and remember, “firm” is a relative term, here.  These caramels will never be hard.  They will set up and you will be able to turn them out of the pan, cut them into squares or mold them into shapes, but each time you touch them, you will be able to change that shape with even the slightest pressure.  They are SOFT.  Delicious!  Wonderful!

    Hot caramel, poured into prepared pan.

  7. Salted caramel or chocolate is a really big trend, right right now.  I had actually never tried it, but as salt is a flavor enhancer, it made sense.  Once your caramels are set, and cut, you can use about 1 tsp of sea salt and sprinkle it over the surface of the candies.  In my opinion, it did add an interesting “crunch” texture that wasn’t expected, but honestly did not alter the flavor of the candy much.  Add or omit this step according to your own preference.
  8. At this point, I cut squares of waxed paper, put one square of caramel in each and then twisted the ends to seal them.  The caramel is soft, so the shape will mold to fit its container.  I threw the wrapped caramels in the fridge overnight and pulled them out about 15 minutes before serving them.  They were perfect!

YUM! Wrapped caramels!

Ideas for Variations:

See the size and shape of the caramel as I rolled them and then how they flattened and spread after being dipped in melted milk chocolate chips.

Once I discovered how delicious these wonderful caramels are, my mind started thinking of ways to use them for gifts at the holidays.  Whether you wrap them as a Christmas gift or include them in a basket or bring them as a special thank you to a party hostess, these gift ideas will be well received and be easy on your budget, too!

I cooled the chocolates in the fridge for about 20 minutes and they are fantastic!!

Variation 1: Roll caramel into balls and dip in chocolate.  Place on parchment or waxed paper to cool.  Arrange on a platter or in a gift box or basket.

Variation 2: Stir chopped pecans into the hot caramel.  Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper.  Once set, dip in chocolate and cool for yummy “turtle” candy.  Arrange on a platter or in a gift box or basket.

Variation 3: Instead of cooking candy to the soft ball stage (242°), only boil it until it hits about 220°.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the pan on a cooling rack.  The caramel will still be rich and thick, but should stay pourable.  Once its cool, pour the caramel sauce into a jar and decorate the jar with ribbon or a fabric bow and a notecard with the recipe.

Printable Version of Soft Caramels Recipe

This recipe is linked to Beauty and Bedlam and Grocery Cart Challenge.

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More Coupons for Savvy Shoppers

On October 22, 2010, in Budget-wise, In the Kitchen, by Glenda Embree

We’re all working hard to save as much as possible at the grocery store, so we can more easily save, and pay cash for everything that makes our homemade holiday fabulous.  I found a few more coupons that may help you on your frugal journey.  $3.00 off Cold Stone Creamery Ice Cream Cakes $2.00 off [...]

We’re all working hard to save as much as possible at the grocery store, so we can more easily save, and pay cash for everything that makes our homemade holiday fabulous.  I found a few more coupons that may help you on your frugal journey. 


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Scribblish Review and Giveaway

On October 22, 2010, in Family Circus, Frugal, Fun Family Activities, Giveaways, Reviews, by Glenda Embree

My family is about as electronically, technologically “wired” as we can be.  That’s not always something I’m happy about.  It has it’s benefits and drawbacks.  The thing I like the least about it, is that we have created the potential for each of us to be off in our own corner, doing our own thing.  [...]

My family is about as electronically, technologically “wired” as we can be.  That’s not always something I’m happy about.  It has it’s benefits and drawbacks.  The thing I like the least about it, is that we have created the potential for each of us to be off in our own corner, doing our own thing.  That’s why when My Blog Spark and Hasbro asked if I would be interested in reviewing Hasbro’s newest board game, Scribblish, I jumped at the opportunity.

Now, anyone who has known me for any length of time, knows I am NOT a huge board game fan.  Years of playing with people who were so competitive they couldn’t just have fun, left a bad taste in my mouth; and I have tended to avoid them, ever since, to the detriment of our children, I’m afraid.   My desire to bring everyone back around the table for a family fun time, convinced me to step outside my comfort zone and give Scribblish a try, however.

Scribblish Game Pieces

Scribblish is part of Hasbro’s line of Cranium games.  I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard.  The first time we played we had a blast; and though I’m not naming names, the howling, roll-on-the-floor laughter created some bladder issues for select members of the gaming party.  This is a terrible genetic phenomenon we have come to accept as part of extreme joviality in our family.  Good grief!  That’s sort of a detour down a rabbit trail and bordering on slightly personal, but I guess we’ve known each other long enough to bond over extreme giggling.  :)

If you remember playing a game in grade school, called telephone, you already understand the premise behind Scribblish.  Up to six players can play at one time and we discovered that it is most fun when more people are playing.  We are actually planning to purchase a second game, so that up to 12 of us can play at once.

Each player has a strip of paper, about the size of a grocery list.  Players must select one of three different phrases printed on a card they draw from a stack in the center of the table.  They copy that phrase onto the top line of their paper and in the space underneath, draw their interpretation of that phrase.  Then they roll the paper into its holder, covering the phrase and leaving only the picture exposed.  A roll of the included dice determines which direction and how many spaces around the table that the papers are to be passed – one to the left, two to the right, etc.  When each player receives their new paper, they look at the picture that is showing and on the line underneath, right a caption for the picture.  Then, they roll the paper into the holder until only their caption is showing.  Roll the dice again and pass the paper and the players look at the captions they’ve received and then draw an illustration of it underneath.  Repeat this process two more times and then it’s time for the big reveal!  All the holders are laid in the center of the table with only the final sketch showing.  Each player tries to determine from that final picture, which holder contains the paper they started with.  When the game sheets are pulled from their holders, the hilarity of how “this became that” ignites peals of laughter and the frenzied passing of the sheets among players to see what has become of their original phrase.

I should mention that Scribblish comes with a timer, which we promptly eliminated.  It was the only disappointing thing about the game.  It was not loud enough to be heard and played intermittent “music”, stopping and starting several times through the “play time” and then finally winding down and stopping completely.  The problem was that it played so softly, and then the start and stop nature of the music, made it almost impossible to notice when it had actually stopped for good.  We put the timer back in the box and never looked back.  The quality of the timer was the one and only disappointment.  We have had hours of great fun and enjoyment playing this simple game.  Since that first evening, a week ago, we have played again as a family, hosted a game night with friends and played it for entertainment at a youth group activity.  It has been just as well received on each occasion.

Scribblish is an excellent way to connect your family and involve them all in a fun activity together.  It is easy to learn and to play, so even children as young as 8 or 9 can play without difficulty.  If you can’t wait to have one of your own, get $2 off your online purchase by visiting the Cranium Facebook page and obtaining the promo code.

Hasbro has generously offered a Scribblish game as a giveaway for one Busy-at-Home reader.  I can’t wait for your family to share in the fun!

Giveaway Rules:

You must reside in the United States and be 18 or older to enter.  The mandatory entry must be completed before any additional entries will be counted.  Deadline to enter is midnight (CST) on Sunday, November 7.  Winner will be selected by random drawing utilizing random.org.

Mandatory Entry:

Leave a comment telling me your family’s favorite Hasbro board game.

Additional Optional Entries:

  1. Follow Busy-at-Home on Twitter.  Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
  2. Like Busy-at-Home on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
  3. Follow Busy-at-Home on Google Friends Connect.  Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
  4. Subscribe to the Busy-at-Home Newsletter with this link or in the right-hand sidebar.  You will receive an email confirmation with a link that must be clicked to confirm your subscription.  Once you click the email link to confirm your subscription, leave me a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
  5. Post this giveaway on your Facebook page.  I’m entered to win Scribblish, a hilariously fun, family board game from Hasbro and Busy-at-Home.  http://busy-at-home.com/blog/scribblish-review-and-giveaway/ Leave a comment below with a link to your post.

…

I received a Scribblish game from Hasbro, through My Blog Spark, in order to conduct this review.  No monetary compensation was received and a positive review was not required.  As with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own.

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A Homemade Holiday Begins!
King Arthur Flour is Sponsoring the First Giveaway of the Series!

On October 21, 2010, in Giveaways, by Glenda Embree

It’s finally here!  Can you believe I have been bending your ear with this blog for a year, now!!??  I can’t tell you how fun it has been for me to “meet” all of you along the way.  To celebrate, I’m kicking off our new series, A Homemade Holiday.  We’re going to start with some [...]

My review package of King Arthur products. Sorry about the crazy lighting. I'm still trying to adjust to flourescent lighting in my new kitchen.

It’s finally here!  Can you believe I have been bending your ear with this blog for a year, now!!??  I can’t tell you how fun it has been for me to “meet” all of you along the way.  To celebrate, I’m kicking off our new series, A Homemade Holiday.  We’re going to start with some delicious recipes and fantastic kitchen products.  We’ll move quickly into Thanksgiving and Christmas projects to decorate your home and holiday tables, gifts you can make simply and frugally and continue with delicious recipes to make your meals, celebrations and entertaining a smashing success.  There will be picture tutorials for each project and I hope you will all find ways to make your holidays about family and fun, without stressing the family budget.  An investment of  your time and heart will save money AND build memories.  I’m looking forward to sharing in your homemade holiday!

King Arthur Flour has long been my “go to” place to shop for supplies and for information, recipes and tips when it comes to bread baking.  Ingredients that I was not able to find in my local small town stores were easily available from them, online and were delivered right to my front door!  Woohoo!  Over the years, more and more King Arthur products have shown up on the shelves in our stores, so I can pick them up on a regular shopping trip, but I still shop online for their unique specialty products.  I’m so excited that they have agreed to participate in our A Homemade Holiday series and I know you are going to be, too!

Everything from grain to specialty flours, quality spices to baking mixes, kitchen tools to bakeware can be found at King Arthur Flour.  Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour is one of their newest products!  I love how they see a need and then strive to meet it.   Are you in the market for a grain mill, bread machine or a stand mixer?  You can find them there.  You can also learn about specific ingredients — what they are, how to use them and how they will work in a recipe.  Recipes are kitchen-tested and cover every baking category you can imagine.  You can even subscribe to The Baking Sheet, a fantastic 24-page newsletter that’s published six times per year or take advantage of their many online education opportunities to fine tune your skills in the kitchen and learn new techniques.

When a King Arthur catalog shows up in my mailbox, I have to do some pretty fancy footwork to get to be the first to read it.  :)   It’s chock-full of fantastic kitchen gadgets, recipes (with pictures) and products that make you want to get out to the kitchen and create a flour cloud! :)    My husband is a fan of gadgets of any variety and insists a cookbook isn’t really a cookbook without pictures, so if I’m not quick, I have to wait until he has finished with the new catalog before I can pour over it.  I love the information and tips I can glean from it and often the gift items and kitchen tools are so unique, I have not seen them anywhere else.  You could literally polish off your Christmas list, even the hard-to-buy-for people, with some unique and inspiring presents that will be practical AND fun!

I received a magnificent sampling of King Arthur products to review and share with you, plus I will be highlighting many of the King Arthur products already in my kitchen.  The review package (and the set that a Busy-at-Home reader will receive) contained:

  1. 5 lbs. King Arthur Unbleached All Purpose Flour – This is an unbleached, unbromated flour with 11.7 % protein.  Unbromated means that it has a higher than average amount of protein and contains no potassium bromate.  It’s an excellent choice in all your typical baking projects.
  2. 5 lbs. King Arthur Unbleached White Whole Wheat Flour – My family normally eats just about anything.  I have never had a problem with finicky eaters, however, my husband flatly refused to eat whole wheat bread until I switched to King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour.  The flour is milled from hard white spring wheat and is ground more finely than other whole wheat flours.  This means that the finished product has a lighter color and smoother texture, both of which won my husband over.  Now, I can provide the nutrition he needs from whole grain, in products that taste delicious!  For bread baking, the only thing that would switch me from this flour would be the magical appearance of a Nutrimill Grain Mill in my kitchen :) , so I could grind my own fresh white spring wheat flour.  Since that is not currently in the budget, I can still have the best flour for my family using King Arthur Unbleached White Whole Wheat.  It’s perfect for us!
  3. 2 lbs. King Arthur Unbleached Cake Flour Blend – Bake high-quality, moist and delicious cakes, without the added chemicals and bleaching of many other available brands.
  4. 6 Bake and Give Wooden Bakers – I love these wooden baking pans!  Bake in them, wrap the cooled product and decorate with a ribbon or a ruffle and have a wonderful gift that looks better and saves the cost of purchasing a gift bag.  These are not the tiny little mini-loaves that we are used to.  Each basket measures 7″ x 4″ x 2 ½” and can hold up to 2 ½ cups of batter, though I personally had better luck with about 2 cups.  Bread bakes up into beautiful, generous loaves that are smaller than full-sized but large enough to be a welcome and substantial gift.  They are made from poplar wood and assembled with heat resistant glue.  The pans are not reusable for baking, but I have a few project ideas that they will be great for, even after they have outlived their baking usefulness!
  5. Set of 24 White Tulip Papers – These cupcake/muffin tin liners add a dainty, dressy feel to your baking.   Add a narrow ribbon bow for a quick gift or to create pretty favor cups for a wedding or bridal shower.
  6. Set of 12 Bake and Give Mini Round Pans with Lids – These ingenious little paper baking pans are 4″ in diameter and perfect for a mini cheesecake, single cinnamon roll, personal fudge brownie — you get the idea.  They come with their own clear, snap-on, plastic lids to let the happy recipient see the beautiful gift inside.  They would also be a simple way to serve perfectly portioned individual desserts at a get-together.  Just like the wooden bake and give pans above, they make a great gift presentation and the recipient never has to worry about returning dishes or bakeware.
  7. The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion Cookbook -   This beautiful, 500-page, hardcover cookbook is a cookie-lover’s dream!  Whether you love the traditional or like to experiment and try something more exotic, it has recipes for every taste and skill level.  Beautiful color picture insets sprinkled through the book, portray many of the sweet goodies and the cookbook is loaded with illustrations and diagrams, tips and information that will help you be successful with any recipe you try.  The text is divided into nine categories of cookies : chocolate chip, sugar, oatmeal, molasses, peanut butter, shortbread, biscotti, brownies, and decorated cookies.  A comprehensive index at the back of the book makes finding specific recipes quick and easy.  Do you like your chocolate chip cookies soft and chewy or crisp and crunchy?  Find recipes that accommodate both.  How about ginger cookies?  Are you a “snap” kind of person or chewy?  Ever tried biscotti, but been afraid it was too difficult to make at home?   From drop cookies to rolled and cut-out cookies for the holidays, you’ll find the perfect treat to tame your next cookie craving.

Because of King Arthur’s amazing generosity, one Busy-at-Home reader will be baking right along with me, through this series, using the same marvelous products, I listed above.  The recipes are coming very soon, in separate posts, but the giveaway begins, today!!!

Giveaway Rules

You must reside in the United States and be 18 or older to enter.  The mandatory entry must be completed before any additional entries will be counted.  Deadline to enter is midnight (CST) on Sunday, November 7.  Winner will be selected by random drawing utilizing random.org.

Mandatory Entry

Visit King Arthur Flour, find a product, baking tip or ingredient that you weren’t familiar with before and would like to try.  Leave a comment and tell me what it is.  (Warning: this website is addicting to hard-core kitchenistas :) .  Remember to take a break from your exploring to come back here and leave a comment.)  Have fun!

Optional Additional Entries

  1. Visit King Arthur Flour and find a recipe you would like to see demonstrated step-by-step, here at Busy-at-Home.  Leave the recipe title in a comment, below.
  2. Like King Arthur Flour on Facebook.  Leave a comment below with your Facebook Name to let me know you’ve done it.
  3. Follow King Arthur Flour on Twitter.  Leave a comment below with your Twitter handle to let me know you’ve done it.
  4. Tweet this giveaway (maximum of 1x per day, please).  I’m entered to win a fabulous King Arthur Flour kitchen products set from @KingArthurFlour & @busyathome.  http://ow.ly/2XlMI  #giveaway Leave a comment below with a link to your tweet.
  5. Post this giveaway on your Facebook page.  I’m entered to win a fabulous King Arthur Flour kitchen products set from King Arthur Flour & Busy-at-Home.  http://ow.ly/2XlMI Leave a comment below with a link to your post.
  6. Follow Busy-at-Home on Twitter.  Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
  7. Like Busy-at-Home on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
  8. Follow Busy-at-Home on Google Friends Connect.  Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
  9. Subscribe to the Busy-at-Home Newsletter with this link or in the right-hand sidebar.  You will receive an email confirmation with a link that must be clicked to confirm your subscription.  Once you click the email link to confirm your subscription, leave me a comment to let me know you’ve done it.

    10. The fabulous assortment of King Arthur Flour products one Busy-at-Home reader is going to win!

That’s ten opportunities to win some fabulous gifts for your kitchen!  Be watching for the first baking projects using some of them.  I’m going to add Pumpkin Bread, Zucchini Bread and Chocolate Banana Swirl Bread to your recipe boxes!

I received the set of products listed above in order to conduct reviews, now, and in upcoming recipe posts.  A positive review was not required and no monetary compensation was received.  As with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own.

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Save Money at Your Local Grocery Store

On October 20, 2010, in Budget-wise, In the Kitchen, by Glenda Embree

We all know that we can find special deals at the major chains by following their specials online, but did you know that your local grocery store may very well have online ads and specials posted?  Do a Google search and try to find your favorite local shops.  In my area, we have Super Saver, [...]

We all know that we can find special deals at the major chains by following their specials online, but did you know that your local grocery store may very well have online ads and specials posted?  Do a Google search and try to find your favorite local shops.  In my area, we have Super Saver, SunMart, Pac-N-Save, and more nationally known, Hy-Vee and Walgreens.

When you plan your menu for the week :) and your weekly shopping list (I hope you are more consistent than I have been, lately.), be sure you go online and check grocery ads.  Many will have “online only” specials or exclusive coupons that can help you cut your grocery budget.  Once, your list is made, then check it against available coupons in your file (you have one, right?), and online at Coupons.com, Red Plum, and Smart Source.  Remember, most stores will honor a store coupon coupled with a manufacturer’s coupon, so be diligent to see if you have any that will match up and multiply your savings.

Super Saver Bargains for 10/20 to 10/26

Banquet Pot Pies …………………………………….10/$4
Seedless Red Grapes ……………………………..  .94/lb
Best Choice Mac & Cheese ………………………….4/$1
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or Chicken Tenders ….$4.77/3lb bag
Best Choice Peanut Butter (16 oz) ……………..   .98
Best Choice Premium Paper Towels …………..   .48
Starkist Tuna (5 oz) ………………………………   .58
Best Choice Mandarin Oranges ………………….. 2/.88
Activia Yogurt ………………………………………..$1.67/4 pk

…

Hy-Vee Bargains for 10/20 to 10/26

Whole Chickens………………………………………… .79/lb
80% Ground Beef………………………………….. $1.88/lb
Butter Kernel Canned Veggies………………… 4/$2
HyVee Tomato Sauce or Tomatoes (15 oz)… 2/$1
Thursday and Friday Only at Hy-Vee
Campbell’s Tomato or Chicken Noodle Soup  (limit 4)………………  .39 each
Hy-Vee Saltines………………………………………………………………… .79 each
Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese…………………….. .99 each
Did you print the 5/$5 coupon.  If so, you will get 5 Cream Cheese packages FREE!

…

These are only a few examples of the savings that are available.  Knowing what’s on sale can help you plan a truly frugal menu for the week.  So, plan a menu, use grocery ads to help make a shopping list, and then use coupons wherever you can to decrease your bottom line even further. Making a habit of investing this planning-time before you shop, will definitely save money on a huge part of your family’s monthly spending.  Plan ahead, enjoy great meals at home with your family and save money!  You can do it!

All those pennies count even more as Christmas approaches.  How much will you try to save each month on groceries, to use toward debt-free Christmas shopping?  It’s something to consider.  Let me know your favorite grocery saving tips and how you plan ahead to assure your holidays are fun AND frugal.  Plus, be watching for the kick-off, tomorrow (Thursday) of our A Homemade Holiday anniversary series.  It’s going to have tons of money-saving tips, plus projects and ideas for you that will take you frugally through the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons!

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Budget-Conscious Pampering: Suave Naturals Body Care

On October 19, 2010, in Budget-wise, Giveaways, Reviews, by Glenda Embree

This giveaway is closed.  And the winner is #171 – Kim! Who wouldn’t love the total spa experience, with its body- and soul-pampering treatments, aroma therapy fragrances and relaxing atmosphere?  It sounds like a dream escape from those difficult days that wear us down.  In my case, with the commitment we’ve made to single-income living [...]

This giveaway is closed.  And the winner is #171 – Kim!

Who wouldn’t love the total spa experience, with its body- and soul-pampering treatments, aroma therapy fragrances and relaxing atmosphere?  It sounds like a dream escape from those difficult days that wear us down.  In my case, with the commitment we’ve made to single-income living and a frugal budget, a dream is ALL it is.  In today’s economy, I’m guessing that fits most of you, as well.  Well, a day at the spa may not fit our lifestyle, but that doesn’t mean we have to forgo some of the wonderfully pampering and luxurious relaxing moments that can be experienced there.

Suave has added three new fragrances to their Naturals line, which, until now, had included seven varieties of body wash  and 12 shampoo and conditioners.  The new fragrances are showcased in three lovely body washes and body lotions.  I recently had the great good fortune to try both the Suave Naturals Body Wash and the Suave Naturals Body Lotion in the Lavender Vanilla fragrance.  It is heavenly!

I love lavender essential oil for promoting relaxation and reducing nervous tension.  For me, the fragrance stimulates the feeling of crisp, clean freshness while soothing away aches and tiredness.  It doesn’t really matter how the fragrance is delivered, just smelling it, begins the therapeutic effects for me.

Suave Naturals Lavender Vanilla Body Wash instantly floods the entire bathroom with the sweet fragrances of lavender and vanilla.  Coupled with the warm, waterfall of the shower, this luxurious body wash created  rich, Vitamin E infused lather and helped to leave my skin soft and clean while rinsing away the stresses of the day.  I also liked that, unlike other brands of body wash, a slight fragrance remained on my skin, even after the shower was over.

Suave Naturals Lavender Vanilla Body Lotion has climbed to the top of my list of absolute favorites.  I am VERY picky when it comes to lotion.  I don’t like sticky.  I don’t like a heavy, greasy film left on my skin; and I definitely want my skin to feel smooth and moisture-infused.  This beautifully fragranced lotion delivers on all counts!  The lotion is thick and creamy, and yet, as I smoothed it into my skin, it felt as though cool water was being absorbed into my cells.  I could literally FEEL the hydration!  Fabulous!

I’m absolutely sold on these new Suave Naturals Body Care products.  They clean, moisturize and pamper body and soul; and they’re gentle on my budget!  Depending on where you shop, you should be able to find both products for around $4 each or even less!  And to help you save even more on those already affordable prices, you can visit the Suave website to register for their coupons and specials newsletter and receive a $1 coupon off a Suave Naturals Body Lotion!

Whether you are shopping for yourself or planning gifts for the upcoming holidays, Suave Naturals Body Care products are fragrant, frugal and fabulously luxurious!  Create a pampering spa experience at home with these inviting products.

The Giveaway!!

Suave, through Mom Spark Media, will be providing a Suave Naturals Body Wash and Body Lotion for a lucky Busy-at-Home reader!  The winner will select their choice from these three fragrances: Lavender Vanilla, Wild Cherry Blossom or Mango Mandarin!  What a great opportunity!

The Rules:

You must be 18 or older and a U.S. resident to register.  You must complete the mandatory entry for any optional entries to be counted.  Winner will be selected in a random drawing using random.org, at midnight on Tuesday, November 2, 2010.

Mandatory Entry:

Which of the three new fragrances would you love to try?  Leave a comment below to tell me and to be entered in the drawing.

(Some of you may note a change in the required entry.  This was required by the sponsor and will not affect entries made prior to the change.  All entries will be counted.  Thanks!)

Optional Additional Entries:

  1. Follow Suave on Twitter Leave a comment below with your Twitter ID and letting me know you are following them.
  2. Visit the Suave website and register to receive the $1 coupon for Suave Naturals Body Lotion.  Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
  3. Follow Suave on Facebook and leave a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
  4. Follow Busy-at-Home on Twitter.  Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
  5. Like Busy-at-Home on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
  6. Tweet this giveaway (can be done 1x per day)  I’m entered to win Suave Naturals Body Wash and Body Lotion @suavebeauty @busyathome  http://busy-at-home.com/blog/flames-and-wicks-candles-review-and-giveaway/ #giveaway #review
  7. Subscribe to Busy-at-Home Newsletter with this link or in the right-hand sidebar.  You will receive an email confirmation with a link that must be clicked to confirm your subscription.  Once you click the email link to confirm your subscription, leave me a comment to let me know you’ve done it.

I received a Suave Naturals Lavender Vanilla Body Wash and Body Lotion from Suave, through Mom Spark Media, in order to conduct this review.  A positive review was not required and no monetary compensation was received.  As always, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own.

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